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Lone Pine can't finish off Trona |
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Friday, 05 October 2007 |
 David Jones, shown during a recent game, rushed for a TD at Trona, but injuries to Lone Pine helped the Tornadoes turn a 6-6 game at the half into a 50-12 win. Photo by Keith Rainville By Keith Rainville
Sports Editor 10-4-2007
The Eagles football team put its 3-0 record on the line last Saturday at the Pit in Trona and lost a very physical game to the 8-Man Small No. 3 Tornadoes. Lone Pine and Trona were tied 6-6 at the half, but injuries and Trona’s depth made the difference in the 12-50 defeat.
Head coach Dale Newell was proud of the way his team battled throughout the day and was pleased with the way his bench stepped up to meet the challenge.
Trona took an early 6-0 lead, but defense was the name of the game in the first half. Both defensive units did a good job of controlling the other team’s running game in the first half, and big hits led to solid tackles.
Lone Pine got a jolt of momentum late in the second quarter, scoring to tie the game at 6. Eagles quarterback David Jones hit Edwin Castro with a nice pass and Castro converted the reception into a 20-yard touchdown.
Unfortunately, injuries to Lone Pine began to take their toll in the second half. The Eagles, starting the game without two starters, lost three more in the second half to ankle, knee and head injuries. Coach Newell was down to 8 players by the final whistle.
“I was really pleased with the way our team held together in the second half,” said Newell. “We kept our heads up and gave all we could.”
Trona was able to take advantage of their depth and health, running away with 44 unanswered points in the second half. Lone Pine, however, kept battling and scored a touchdown with 0.28 seconds left in the game when Jones scrambled into the end zone from 2 yards out.
Jones finished the night 7-16 passing with a TD and 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 42 yards with a touchdown. Jeremy Pierce ran for 64 hard-earned yards and caught a 5-yard pass. He also added 13 tackles. Elder Rodriguez had 16 tackles and 23 yards rushing. He also had a pair of catches for 14 yards.
Joe Ruiz, who hurt his knee in the second half, had 1 catch for 26 yards and 10 tackles. Dustin Newell caught a 5-yard pass. Castro had 12 tackles to go with his TD catch. Luis Rodriguez added 10 tackles, Blake Nogales had 6, Nial Ramolose had 4 tackles and James Lienemann added 3.
Lone Pine finished its non-league schedule of Hi-Lo opponents at 3-1. The banged up Eagles won’t get any rest, unfortunately. The team opens its Pacific Mountain schedule tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against Hope Centre from Compton. The game will be played in San Pedro. Coach Newell is hoping to get some of his starters back in time for the kickoff but also knows that he has players on his team willing to step up and make plays. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 December 2007 )
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